Miami, FL -- (Miami Herald) -- December 20, 2007 – A pharmacy was dedicated at a new location after the owner bought the building and renovated it.

Aiman Aryan was a medical student working at a CVS pharmacy when he told friends he planned to come to Miami and buy a pharmacy. They thought it would be a waste of time. A dozen years later, Aryan is convinced that he made the right decision. On December 7, Aryan held a ribbon-cutting ceremony for a branch of Robert’s Drug Store, 3454 NW Seventh Ave. – the fourth pharmacy he owns in the Miami area.

Nine year’s ago, Aryan’s family bought the original Robert’s Drug Store, 590 W. Flagler St., which had opened in 1922. Since then, he has added three other locations, including the one he just dedicated, along with stores at 2505 NW 54th St. and 111 NW First St. in the Government Center.

Aryan said the fourth pharmacy originally opened at 2820 NW Seventh Ave. but he was unhappy with the building’s condition and the landlord was not making renovations. He bought a building for $455,000 and spent another $400,000 on renovations and upgrades before opening the store at 3454 NW Seventh Ave.

“Before we opened, people were asking us all the time when we would open, “ Aryan said. “The day we did, there was literally a mob outside. They really wanted us to open.” The drugstore had been open to the public for three weeks when County Commissioner Audrey M. Edmonson and Mohammad S. Shakir and Shabbir Motorwala, director and member respectively of the county’s Asian-American Advisory Board, joined others for the dedication.

“I am happy to see that they have moved to this area to a better location than before.” Edmonson said. “They offer a lot to the community; they are extremely sensitive to the community’s needs.” Aryan said the store is a sign of confidence in the community. “Not too many people want to invest in these neighborhoods,” he said in a phone interview Monday.

Robert’s Drug Store also offers facilities for customers to pay their utility bills as well as a money transfer station, delivers medication for customers who cannot travel to the store and also stocks beverages and other items.

Aryan’s company is no stranger to the drugstore business, owning several in places such as Dubai, Saudi Arabia and Egypt, where the chain is known as Pharmacy 1. “People thought I was crazy to come here and open this branch,” he said. “Today, the same people say we got lucky. We didn’t. We made the right decision at the right time. We took a risk and it paid off.” Shakir credited the stores’ success to how Aryan has managed to make it different from large chains. “You don’t see other, more known retailers offer such services to their customers.” Shakir said.

For Edmonson, store like Robert’s also help improve the standing and situation of people living in the area, not only reacting to their needs but also improving the image of the neighborhood. “The store being a family-run business allows them to treat customers at a more personal level,” Edmonson said.

Motorwala who works as a pharmacist at Robert’s believes the treatment employees receives adds to the success the stores have enjoyed. “I don’t really like working for large chains, “ Motorwala said. “Here we can work on the customer’s requests more directly. Besides, employees get along and work together to solve problems.”

Considering what Robert’s offers customers, Edmonton said she looked forward to more branches. “They have the management skills to keep growing,” she said. “It’s a very neat and organized store and people are attracted to that. I hope they stay around for a long time.”